Dutch Oven Spiral Ham with Sweet Glaze
Whether you’re baking a ham for family gatherings or a holiday dinner, this easy Dutch oven ham recipe will be a timesaver. It features a pre-cooked spiral ham with a sweet glaze using simple ingredients. The combination of the sweet, smoky, tangy and savory flavors enhance the natural flavors of the ham.
You can use this glaze recipe as a sauce for baked ham, hamsteaks or pork chops!
The best part about this recipe is that you can easily turn a fully pre-cooked ham into a homemade masterpiece with a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- Ham – this recipe uses a pre-cooked, boneless, spiral-cut smoked ham.
- Brown sugar – light brown sugar or dark; I prefer light brown sugar for the right amount of sweetness
- Maple syrup – get a good quality syrup with no added preservatives
- Mustard – I use a little Dijon mustard because it adds a hint of heat to the glaze; you can use ground mustard (dry mustard) as a substitute.
- Acid – a hint of apple cider vinegar gives this glaze a little tanginess, which compliments the flavor
- Liquid smoke – this is an optional ingredient, but a little bit in the glaze enhances the natural flavors of a smoked meats
How to make glazed ham
You’ll need a Dutch oven or a roasting pan with a lid and a saucepan for the glaze. See the recipe card below for specific ingredients and step by step instructions.
- Add a little liquid to the Dutch oven, place ham cut side down; cover with foil and place the lid over the foil; bake @ 325°F until the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze
- Slice the ham and drizzle a little of the glaze over them
- Return it to the oven, uncovered and continue to bake another 10 minutes, basting frequently
- Once the ham is fully glazed, place it on a cutting board and cover it with foil
- Let it rest 15-20 minutes for juices to redistribute
- Pour any leftover pan drippings over the spiral ham, slice and serve
Use this chart to reheat a precooked ham at 325°F. Cover with foil and lid and baste with glaze the last 20 minutes of baking time. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Recipe tips
- The glaze recipe yields 1 cup – plenty enough to baste a 5-7 pound ham, however, if you want to serve some on the side as a delicious sauce, double the simple glaze recipe and reserve half in a small bowl for your guests to help themselves
- The glaze will naturally thicken upon cooling
- You can use this glaze recipe for ham steaks or pork chops as well
Storage and reheating
Store leftover ham glaze and ham in an airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. For best results, reheat on the stovetop. Sauce thickens upon refrigeration, so you may have to add a little water.
FAQ’s
The USDA recommends heating a precooked spiral ham at 325°F, wrapped in foil and covered for 10-15 minutes per pound or until the center temperature reaches 140°F.
The double insulation of aluminum foil and a tight fitting lid ensure the ham stays moist throughout the cooking process, resulting in a juicy ham.
Place the ham in a roasting pan or Dutch oven cut side down.
Add a liquid to the roasting pan and cook covered at a lower heat around 300°F.
Pineapple juice is by far the most popular due to the sweetness which pairs well with the saltiness of the ham. Other choices are: water, chicken broth, ginger ale, apple cider vinegar, apple juice or white wine.
1/2 pound per person for a boneless ham; 1/3 pound per person for bone-in ham.
This easy Dutch oven ham is super easy to make and is always a family favorite! Serve with your favorite potato salad, baked beans or cream style corn and call it dinner!
Serving Suggestions
Your Dutch Oven ham will pair beautifully with any of these Southern side dishes:
- Classic Southern Potato Salad
- Southern Baked Beans
- Old Fashioned English Pea Salad
- Maple Carrot Pecan Casserole
- Baked Pineapple Bread Casserole
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment. I love to hear from you!
Dutch Oven Ham with Glaze
Equipment
- Dutch oven or roaster pan with lid
Ingredients
- 1, 5-7 pound pre-cooked ham
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°℉; add water to Dutch oven; pat dry ham and place cut side down in Dutch oven; cover and bake 20-minutes per pound until ham reaches an internal temperature of 140°℉½ cup water, 1, 5-7 pound pre-cooked ham
- In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine brown sugar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and liquid smoke; cook uncovered, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth; remove from heat1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
- Remove ham from pan; separate spiral slices with a sharp knife; place ham back in the Dutch oven on it's side with the fat side down; drizzle a little of the glaze over the slices and return to the oven and bake uncovered 10-15 more minutes
- Baste ham frequently while it's in the oven
- Once the ham is nicely coated, remove it from the Dutch oven and plate on a cutting board; tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes
- Slice and plate; drizzle with more glaze if desired
